


5: Down Time

by alley_oops, jennandanica



Series: Citadel: Luke Evans and Alex Skarsgard [5]
Category: Actor RPF, Citadel (Journalfen RPG), True Blood RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-11-02
Updated: 2008-11-02
Packaged: 2018-01-01 12:01:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1044581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alley_oops/pseuds/alley_oops, https://archiveofourown.org/users/jennandanica/pseuds/jennandanica





	5: Down Time

Down time: Alex Skarsgard and Luke Evans get to know each other better  
[occurs a few hours after Alex panics and he and Luke come to an understanding]

"Coming," Luke calls out, heading for the front door in jeans and a dark blue v-necked t-shirt. "Go ahead and pop the movie in," he tells Alex. "I'll be right there." He grabs the large pizza with all the fixings from the delivery guy and tips him an extra couple of pounds, feeling flush about _everything_ today.

Alex crouches down and loads up the DVD player. "I haven't seen this one yet," he tells Luke when the man comes back from the door, his arms loaded. Alex sits back down on the couch and looks curiously at the cover of _Paranormal Activity 3_. "Actually, I only saw the first one," he says, calling after Luke as he heads into the kitchen. "Is that going to matter, will I be missing any important plot points?"

"I doubt it," Luke says with a laugh. "Do you want two pieces or three to start?" he asks, placing the box on the island.

"Three is good," Alex answers, leaning his head back on the couch. He's pretty damn hungry, and he doesn't want either of them having to get up for a while once they're settled. "You want a hand?"

"No, thanks, I'm good," Luke says, doling out pizza and stacking both plates, a finger between them. "Beer, bottled water or pop?"

"Beer, please." Alex turns and puts an elbow on the sofa back, watching for Luke to come join him. It's nice being waited on like this. Not that Alex needs it, it's just... nice.

Fingers precariously twined around the necks of two beer bottles, Luke looks up on the way into the living room to find Alex watching him and a sudden thrill shoots right through him, warming him down to his toes. "Here you go," he says, making sure Alex has his pizza and a beer and a couple of napkins before settling beside him with his own lunch. "This is brilliant," he adds. "Last time I watched a horror movie, I watched it all by myself and I couldn't sleep half the night dreaming zombies were somehow taking over the building."

Alex snorts a laugh, nearly choking on his first swallow of beer. He clears his throat and shakes his head with a grin. "I read an article about how a real zombie apocalypse would fail, because they're actually kind of easy prey," he says, setting his bottle down on the coffee table. "You know, slow-moving and really pretty simple to kill once you know how. Which is, you know, reassuring." He laughs.

"What about the ones in _28 Days Later_?" Luke asks.

"They were mutation anomalies," Alex insists, as if he's some kind of zombie genetics expert. He laughs and takes another bite of pizza, propping his bare feet up on the coffee table. Then he tugs Luke a little closer, pulling the man's leg up to rest on his own. God, this feels good. No agenda, no pressure. Simply enjoying Luke's company.

Luke glances at Alex and smiles. "These kind of horror movies are the worst," he says, meaning the best, like he's sharing some confidence, some secret. "The ones that play like it's really happening. They freak the hell out of me but I can't stop watching them."

Grinning, Alex picks up his second slice. "I'll protect you," he tells Luke earnestly, then chuckles again. "You know, vampire."

"Oh, that would be amazing," Luke says, not in any hurry to quiet since it's just the credits. "My very own vampire, warding off all the evil creatures..."

"Mmm, perhaps you're unfamiliar with my show," Alex teases. He licks a spot of grease from his finger and then wipes up with his napkin. " _I'm_ the one you need to be worried about." He rubs his hand over Luke's thigh.

Luke almost squeaks. Damnit. "You said you'd protect me!" he protests, laughing, his eyes on Alex's hand. Fuck. He takes another large bite of his pizza.

"Sure. From them," Alex agrees, licking Luke's neck. But he doesn't try to up things from there, just relaxes back on the couch. He's very definitely keeping Luke close today, though. "Vampires are very territorial."

Luke shivers at the lick. "I can imagine," he says happily, curling right in against Alex.

* * *

Alex steps out of the bathroom and stretches his arms over his head, sighing as he feels his muscles loosen. "Want to take a little break?" he asks Luke, nodding towards the paused movie. "Go walk off the pizza, or something?" Because he knows damn well he's going to be jumping Luke in the near future, and he doesn't want to do it on a full stomach.

"Sure." Luke slides the leftovers into the fridge. "Actually. I don't know whether it matters to you or not - and it's okay if it does - but I'm out. I don't expect the paparazzi's hanging around my neighbourhood or anything but being seen with me... people _could_ talk."

Leaning against the wall and watching him, Alex considers Luke's words. Then he shrugs. "I don't care. I mean, I'm not going to kiss you in public anyway - it's no one's fucking business - but I don't give a shit. Let them talk, they'll find something to talk about anyway." He steps closer and fits his hand around Luke's neck, leaning in to kiss him.

Luke moans softly into the kiss, something deep down inside him lightened incredibly by the fact that Alex doesn't care. He'd meant what he'd said. He wouldn't have held it against him, but to not have it matter? It's the best feeling.

Lifting his other hand, Alex tangles his fingers in Luke's hair. The way Luke kisses him... god. He could drown in it. Could spend hours without end doing nothing but touching this man, he realizes. "We should go," he whispers, making himself ease back. He smiles against Luke's mouth. "Or we'll never get out of here." Taking Luke's hand in his, Alex doesn't wait for argument or agreement, just tugs him towards the door.

Their fingers linked, Luke grabs his jacket and hands Alex his -- just in case. The weather here in England is mercurial at the best of times and even though it's sunny right now, they could be facing freezing rain in an hour. "What about you?" he asks quietly. "Are you gay or do you like women as well?"

"I love women. Love the way they taste," Alex answers, holding the lift door for Luke when it slides open. "Have you ever been with one?"

"When I was much younger," Luke says, leaning against the back wall of the lift. "But not since I came out at sixteen. I can appreciate their beauty, but sexually, they don't do a thing for me."

"You came out when you were sixteen?" Alex whistles softly. "That must have taken a lot of courage."

"Well, I didn't come out to everyone," Luke clarifies. "But I told my parents and they're Jehovah's Witness."

"I'm not really familiar with that," Alex admits. "But they're very religious?" That sounds to him like it would make the process even more difficult.

Luke nods. "And we lived in a really small village, so it would have been hard even if they weren't. But they said as much as they loved their religion and God they were sure he would understand they could never turn their backs on me."

Reaching out, Alex strokes his fingers over Luke's cheek. "That's really wonderful," he says softly as the doors slide open again. He gestures Luke out ahead of him. "You're close?"

"Very. I usually talk to them every day, my gran too," Luke says, leading the way out of the building. "What about you? Do you get along with your parents?"

"Yeah. My father was very successful when I was young, and he was always very protective of us, of our privacy," Alex answers, putting his hands into his jeans pockets as he falls into step beside Luke. "So it was instilled in me really early how important family is."

"Oh god, that's right," Luke exclaims. "Your dad's Stellan Skarsgard. I don't know why but I totally blanked on that." He smiles. "He's an amazing actor."

"Thank you, that's kind of you," Alex murmurs, feeling the usual thrill of pride when he thinks about his dad's career... and the usual bite of competitiveness, as well. "New subject," he says, digging his black knit cap out of his jacket pocket and dragging it on to cover his hair. "How old were you, your first time?"

Luke laughs. It takes him a moment, but, "With a girl, twelve, and with a boy, fourteen. You?"

"Christ," Alex mutters. "You were even younger than I was. Small town, you said?" He laughs.

"Yeah. Abergargoed in South Wales," Luke says with a slightly sheepish grin. "There was nothing else to do there but fuck. Kind of like Sweden in winter," he adds, remembering what Alex said before.

Alex grins. "Got it." He turns his head to watch Luke while they walk, then remembers that he's supposed to be _not_ obvious, damn it. "I was thirteen with a girl - she was sixteen - and then not until seventeen with a guy. He was one of my teammates -- handjob in the showers, that old cliché. He let me fuck him a few weeks later." Alex shakes his head ruefully. "God, was that a disaster."

"How so?"

"Neither of us knew anything about how he should have been prepped," Alex explains with a shrug. "He cried. And then he took a swing at me, because he was so pissed off that he'd cried."

A first time without lube with someone Alex's size? Luke can't help wincing. "We used my mum's hand lotion," he confesses. "And I went around smelling like flowers until my boyfriend lifted some K-Y from the pharmacy."

Alex grins at the image. But... "I'm finding myself very jealous of your boyfriend," he murmurs.

"Yeah?" Luke laughs. "Why's that?"

"Because." Alex intently checks out a shop window as they pass, working to keep his hands to himself. "He got to sneak around with you. When all this was new to you."

Luke actually blushes at that. "There's actually a lot of this which is still new to me," he says quietly. "Not, obviously, the guy thing, but the... kink. I haven't really met anyone I trusted enough to explore more and the one guy I would have," he shakes his head. "We were working together and it was just a bad idea."

That blush -- it's fucking enchanting. Alex forces himself to look away again, but a smile lingers on his lips. "This guy you worked with. You knew he was kinky?"

Luke nods. "He had this kind of vibe about him," he says. "And we got a little rougher, played around a little more as things went on, but we were filming and," he shrugs a little, "he wasn't someone you hook up with long-term."

"Mmm." Alex nods, but doesn't let himself say anything else about that. "But you want to explore more?" he asks quietly, stepping closer to Luke to make room for a woman pushing a baby carriage. "With me?"

"I'd love to," Luke says, not entirely sure whether Alex is asking or simply feeling him out, but either way.

A crazy thrill rushes through Alex at those soft words, and he works to keep his face impassive. "I'm due back on set in Los Angeles at the end of the month, for at least a month of filming. What's your schedule like, coming up?" He's actually trying to make plans, for the future. The earth should be opening up beneath their feet at any moment.

"Um." Luke blanks for a moment, so blown away he can't even think straight. "I have the world premiere for Immortals on the 8th in L.A. and I think I'm there for a couple of weeks doing publicity and then I'm back to New Zealand for a week or two for the Hobbit but then I'm back in L.A. again."

 _New Zealand? Motherfucker_. Alex frowns, glancing away at a shop window. "Do you keep a place in L.A. or will you be in a hotel?"

Luke grins. "I don't have the kind of money to keep a place in L.A.," he says softly. "The studio'll be putting me up."

"Good. Then you can come visit, stay with me," Alex says, like it's already a done deal -- it's his version of an invitation.

"Seriously?" Luke's grin widens so fast and so hard it almost hurts.

"Yeah." Alex pauses, his hands in his pockets, eyes scanning the street before he looks at Luke. Fuck, he's gorgeous, and Alex's gaze heats. "Ready to turn around and go back?"

"No." Luke laughs. "I want to know more about you." And he knows that's not going to happen if they go back. "What's your favourite food?"

Alex drags a hand over his face in mock exasperation, but he's smiling; it feels good hearing that Luke really wants to know more about him. Not his cock size, not his play style, but him. "Um, it depends on my mood. I love a good greasy bacon cheeseburger with chips," he admits. "It's very American of me, I know. For comfort food, though, I go traditional: potato dumplings, pork meatballs, cold berry soup. That kind of thing."

"I don't think I've ever had cold berry soup," Luke says, "but it sounds good. What kind of berries go in it?"

"Blueberries, blackberries, brillberries. Whatever's in season. And then you serve it with cream, it's delicious," Alex answers. "Do you speak Welsh?"

"I speak it fairly well and I understand it even better but I can't read it," Luke answers. "I never learned formally, just from my gran."

Alex nods. "Have you ever filled out a checklist?" he asks next, his mind leaping topics like a pinball slamming around.

"For what?"

It's... pretty much the answer Alex was expecting. But even so, he's surprised by the thrill that shoots through him at Luke's question, suggesting that, yes, he really is as new to all this as he said. "For kinks," Alex explains softly. "It's a long list where you check off what you like, what you _really_ like, what you'll never in a thousand years even try..."

Luke nods. "I think I've seen a few of those online but I've never really had any reason to fill one out," he says. "Should I?"

Alex's mouth quirks in a grin. "Is it all right if I get you one?" he asks, turning his head to look at Luke. "And I'll show you mine."

"I'd love that," Luke says, wondering if there really is more of a bounce to his step or if it only feels like it. He wants to ask if Alex has ever been someone's sir on a formal basis but it might sound like he's jumping ahead. "You're not seeing anyone, are you? Seriously I mean?" It didn't matter to him when they were just fucking around but if he's going to stay with Alex...

"Just you," Alex tells him with a small shrug, and companionably bumps Luke with his elbow. Then he adds, more seriously, "It's been a long time for me." He figures they should just get that out there, up front.

 _Just you._ Luke smiles. "What's a long time?"

Alex's jaw tightens. "My last girlfriend and I broke up in February," he answers quietly. "It's just been hook-ups since then." Not that Kate wasn't immediately photographed all over the place with her new director boyfriend, god. Like she couldn't fucking wait.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Luke says, and he is, even though it means he's got his chance with this gorgeous man. "Was she--" Fuck. He blows out a breath. "It's probably not any of my business but was she your girl?"

"No." Alex shakes his head. "We played around with things, but... not like that. And, I want you to ask," he adds after a moment's hesitation. He takes a deep breath, slowly blowing it out. "I want this to be honest, between us." Which will require a greater commitment from him as well; he's well aware of that.

"Okay. Good. Thank you," Luke says, feeling so much better. "Have you ever had your own boy or girl?"

"Quite a few of them," Alex nods. "But... not long-term." He knows that's going to require further explanation, and he quickly tries to determine just how to best explain the situation, without talking about Citadel... and without freaking Luke out. "I... There's a community I play in," he begins, glancing aside at Luke every few seconds to make sure he's not going too far. "There are some boys and girls I play with a lot, who know me and I trust them. A few times a year I'll take one of them on for a short-term contract. Like, two or three weeks. They'll come be mine 24/7, we'll play, and then - before I can drive them completely crazy - they go home."

Overwhelmed, Luke's quiet for a long moment but finally he asks, not sure he really wants the answer, "Is that what you want with me?"

Alex looks sharply at Luke, and he pauses in his steps. "I thought... No," he says, but he searches Luke's eyes, not really certain what the man is asking. "I thought you wanted to experiment some more, because we were having fun together. I wouldn't put you in something formal right now," he says softly. "And I wasn't thinking to put a time limit on us getting to know each other better."

"Oh," Luke says softly, trying to hide his disappointment. "I wouldn't mind the formal if you wanted that. I just thought you might -- you mentioned the month in L.A. and I thought maybe that was all you wanted me for."

Alex's eyes narrow as he studies Luke's face. Trying to read him, but he's got a feeling he's failing miserably. "I really like you, Luke. I can't imagine not still wanting you in a month." Especially when he feels like they've only just scratched the surface of what's building between them.

"Okay." Luke nods. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be getting ahead of us. It's just a lot to take in, what you said."

"It's nothing to apologize for," Alex tells him, still a little confused. "And you know, you can tell me if I freak you out at all. I mean, you should tell me," he says softly. He's a little worried now -- worried that his revealing so much of himself might be scaring Luke off. "Safewording isn't just for physical situations. It can be for emotional stuff, too."

Luke gives him a smile. "Thanks, but I don't need to safeword. It’s just happening so fast, it blows my mind, but don't me get wrong, I love it. I'm totally onboard." His smile widening a little. "I _really_ like you and I can't believe you're offering me all of this."

Alex smiles back, his gaze moving over Luke's beautifully expressive face. "Now are you ready to go back?" he asks teasingly. They'll have plenty more time to talk on the way back to Luke's flat, and Alex is getting itchy. He drops his voice to keep it just between them. "Because I really want to get you naked again."

Luke nods, keeping his voice every bit as quiet when he answers, "Yes, sir."  



End file.
